ChicagoMaroon102816

Page 1

OCTOBER 28, 2016

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO SINCE 1892

VOL. 128, ISSUE 9

Sigma Chi Expels Brother Accused of Sexual Misconduct BY PETE GRIEVE NEWS EDITOR

A student accused of sexual misconduct last Friday night has been expelled from the UChicago chapter of the Sigma Chi fraternity. According to the chapter’s executive board, the incident did not occur at the chapter residence. “In response to recent allegations of sexual misconduct against a former member of our chapter, we severed ties with the individual, who will have no future affiliation or involvement with our chapter,” the chapter’s executive committee wrote in an e-mail to T HE M AROON. The chapter’s advisor, Samuel Smith, said that the chapter has initiated the disciplinary process with Sigma Chi’s international organization. “As with all incidents of this nature, and in keeping with Sigma Chi International Fraternity’s protocols and procedures, that brother has been placed on interim suspension from the Sigma Chi International Fraternity pending an investigation,” Smith said in a statement Thursday night. T HE M A ROON obtained an e-mail from the chapter’s executive committee to sorority presidents about the incident. “In the past 48 hours, our executive committee became aware of unofficial allegations

of sexual misconduct against a member of our fraternity,” reads the Wednesday night e-mail. “In response, with the backing of our national headquarters, we made the decision to sever permanently all ties with the individual, who was informed [Wednesday] afternoon that his membership in Sigma Chi had been terminated.” The executive committee said in an e-mail to T HE M AROON that the chapter did not host any social events that night. It added that the chapter “maintains the strictest of zero-tolerance policies regarding sexual misconduct.” Chicago Police Department (CPD) News Affairs did not immediately respond to an inquiry for information about any reports of sexual assault in Hyde Park on the night of October 21. There are no reports of sexual assault on the UCPD Incident Report Archive from that night or the morning after. On Saturday, October 22, a person reported that she had been scratched in the face by an acquaintance at an off-campus party at approximately 11 p.m. on Friday. The victim declined to file a CPD report, but the case was referred to Campus and Student Life. Fraternity presidents who signed a recent agreement committing to a standard sexual assault policy called “Fraternities Committed to Safety” convened Thursday for a meeting.

NEWS EDITOR

The University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) arrested a 28-year-old male unaffiliated with the University for trespassing Wednesday afternoon after he stood up on a table in Baker Dining Commons and protested for a communist revolution in the United States. A University spokesperson said the deans on call had asked the group of protesters to leave Baker numerous times. The protesters

STUDENTS TO RECIEVE DIPLOMAS WITH HOUSEMATES BY PETE GRIEVE NEWS EDITOR

The University announced major changes to its Closing Convocation programming in an e-mail to students Thursday morning. In past years, President Robert Zimmer has handed out diplomas to all students at a ceremony on the quad. This year, there will be eight diploma ceremonies at different locations on campus. Zimmer will “verbally confer the degrees” at an all-University ceremony in the morning.

Continued on page 3

NEWS STAFF

were members of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP), U.S.A., a Maoist organization dedicated to “real revolution” in the United States. Chicago is the first stop on their “Get into the Revolution Organizing Tour.” “Since they did not comply, UCPD was called and one person was arrested for trespassing,” spokesperson Marielle Sainvilus said. Noche Diaz, the man who stood on the table, is facing misdemeanor charges, according to Chicago Police. Continued on page 6

Continued on page 6

A Team Effort

The Cubs’ historic victory could have implications outside the realm of sports.

Page 8 The University of Chicago has a distinguished list of decampers.

Student Government President Eric Holmberg and College Council Chair Peggy Xu are collecting student feedback to give to the deans. In a Facebook post, Holmberg and Xu say they “confirmed that no students were included in any part of the extensive planning process leading up to this decision.” In an e-mail, University spokesperson Jeremy Manier said that students, parents, and other participants in past ceremonies have told the University that it

BY FENG YE

Page 11

Generation X ’: A Brief History of Dropouts and Transfer Students at the University of Chicago

“The ceremonies will be organized by Residence Hall and presided over by the Resident Masters at locations across campus,” Dean John “Jay” Ellison said in the announcement e-mail Thursday. “We recognize that students have important connections to their College Housing communities and by organizing the College diploma ceremonies by Residence Hall, the ceremonies will be more intimate,” read the College’s FAQ page about the changes. Students will be able to request to graduate with a different residence hall.

Burglars Break in While Student Is Showering This Monday at around 2 p.m., three strangers broke into an apartment at 54th Street and Woodlawn Avenue while a fourthyear student was showering in the apartment. At around 3 p.m., the burglars left the apartment, taking an iPhone, jeans, sunglasses, and the student’s debit cards. When the student opened the bathroom door and made eye contact with the burglars, he immediately tried to lock the bathroom door and call 911. One burglar broke open the door and began attacking the student, the student told THE MAROON. “One person assaulted me by punching me in the face, neck and shoulders. He attempted to strike me with a stainless steel plumbing pipe,” the student said in an e-mail. The student said he was

Communist Protester Arrested After Standing on Table in Dining Hall BY PETE GRIEVE

Courtesy of UChicago Division of the Humanities

In past years, Zimmer has handed out diplomas at a ceremony on the quad.

Facebook

The student tried to lock himself in his bathroom, but the burglars were able to break in the door.

Maroons Kick-off Last Three Conference Games

Contributing to the Maroon

Page 16

If you want to get involved in THE M AROON in any way, please email apply@chicagomaroon.com or visit chicagomaroon.com/apply.

On a five-game win streak, the No. 7 women’s soccer team looks to take down two UAA opponents.

Candy-Coated Casios: The Sweet Global-Pop of Kero Kero Bonito Page 13 On its second outing, Kero Kero Bonito’s Tokyo-by-way-of-London sound hits its stride.

Excerpts from articles and comments published in T he Chicago Maroon may be duplicated and redistributed in other media and non-commercial publications without the prior consent of The Chicago Maroon so long as the redistributed article is not altered from the original without the consent of the Editorial Team. Commercial republication of material in The Chicago Maroon is prohibited without the consent of the Editorial Team or, in the case of reader comments, the author. All rights reserved. © The Chicago Maroon 2016


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
ChicagoMaroon102816 by The Chicago Maroon - Issuu